Wednesday, June 05, 2013

Health Ministry: Registry on practitioners of aesthetic medicine to be set up -

SEREMBAN: A national registry on doctors and specialists in aesthetic medicine will be set up to curb allegations of disfigurements or deaths arising from aesthetic procedures performed by incompetent medical and non-medical practitioners.

Medical and surgical specialists will be required to possess a higher qualification and be properly trained in their respective fields before they can have their names included in the National Registry of Registered Medical Practitioners Practising Aesthetic Medical Practice.

These are among new provisions introduced by the Health Ministry in a move to regulate the industry following a significant increase in the number of doctors engaging in this practice.

Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the main objective of the registry was to ensure the safety of aesthetic medical practice in Malaysia.

“In recent years, aesthetic medical practice has gained popularity and as it is a consumer-driven service, the public needs to be protected.

“Aesthetic medical practice is not risk-free as many may perceive. In the pursuit of trying to satisfy the aesthetic desires of patients, practitioners need to be aware of the health risks and potential complications,” he said in the foreword of the just-released Guidelines on Aesthetic Medical Practice for Registered Medical Practitioners on Tuesday.

Malaysian Society of Aesthetic Medicine president Dr Chin Shih Choonsaid the registry would help the people to verify the credentials of the said doctor before they decide to undergo any procedure.

“Once the registry is up, the people will be able to distinguish between a trained doctor in aesthetic medicine and a fly-by-night operator,” he said.

The national registry will have three chapters for general practitioners, medical specialists and surgical specialists.

These guidelines would define the scope of practice allowed, the minimum level of competency required and the process of registration for medical practitioners, said Dr Noor Hisham.

The ministry sought expert opinions from various stakeholders including professional bodies, universities and doctors over several years before coming up with the guidelines on aesthetic medical practice for general practitioners, medical and surgical specialists.